Pandan leaves blended with water to create an aromatic extract perfect for baking and other desserts. This two-ingredient pandan extract is simple to make and will definitely enhance the flavor of your desserts.
Pandan. Have you heard of it before? In Vietnamese, it’s called lá dứa.
It’s definitely an Asian flavor, and it might not be easy to find unless your local Asian market has it in stock.
It’s just I’ve been obsessed with this flavor for awhile now so I thought I’d share it with you. Just venturing briefly away from my usual “easy to find ingredients” niche.
Whenever I’m at an Asian bakery or dessert shop, I’m constantly looking for something pandan flavored. Have you ever had pandan flavored baked goods or desserts? You might have. It’s soo flavorful and just plain addictive. And they’re kinda distinctive since almost anything pandan flavored will most likely also be green in color. That delicious aroma from the green waffles? Pandan. That green jelly in your Vietnamese dessert? Pandan.
So of course, that meant that I wanted to try to create that flavor at home.
I’ve tried the store bought pandan extract before, and I didn’t quite like it. There was something about it that tasted a little off, a little artificial. So I bought a package of frozen pandan leaves from my local Asian supermarket and set about making my own.
Fresh pandan extract actually doesn’t taste as strong as I’d like, but it does enhance the flavor of your desserts.
Allow the frozen pandan leaves to defrost for a few minutes. Take about 22 pandan leaves, which is almost the whole package, and cut them into smaller pieces, about 1 inch sections.
Place these pandan leaves into a blender, preferably a strong one, and add about ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. If your blender has trouble blending, add about 2-3 tablespoons of water to help with the blending.
Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or a cup. Pour the pandan into a fine mesh sieve and press with a spoon to squeeze out all the water into the bowl or cup.
Save this two-ingredient pandan extract for your desserts! There’s going to be one coming up soon =)
Hope you’ll like this as much as I do!
Come join me and other food bloggers at Fiesta Friday where you will find so many recipes!
- 22 pandan leaves, defrosted
- ½ cup water, more if needed
- Take about 22 pandan leaves and cut them into smaller pieces, about 1 inch sections.
- Place these pandan leaves into a blender, preferably a strong one, and add about ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. If your blender has trouble blending, add about 2-3 tablespoons of water to help with the blending.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or a cup. Pour the pandan into a fine mesh sieve and press with a spoon to squeeze out all the water into the bowl or cup.
- Save this pandan extract for your desserts!
How long can this extract last? will the flavor be retained after it has been frozen?
It should last about a week since it’s fresh. I wouldn’t freeze it. I think the ingredients will separate and the pandan loses its flavor.
I have never heard of them before and am eager to try them, curious what they taste like and why they are mostly used in desserts. Are they sweet?
A lot of times they’re combined with coconut. So it enhances the coconut flavor too. Pandan itself isn’t sweet though. Hope that helps. I’m not sure how to describe the flavor. lol